ESCALATION

South Dakota Gov. Kristi Noem Kicks Lockdown Fight With Tribes to Trump

She turned over affidavits and video of tribal checkpoints to the Justice Department and White House.

South Dakota Gov. Kristi Noem wants the Trump administration to force Native American tribes in her state to remove checkpoints meant to stop the new coronavirus from ravaging the reservations. Noem turned to Washington after the Cheyenne River and Oglala Sioux tribes did not respond to her proposed plan to resolve the dispute over the traffic stops on roads running through their land. The Argus Leader reports that Noem said “affidavits and video recordings of these unlawful checkpoints” were turned over to the U.S. Department of Justice, the White House, and the state’s congressional delegation. Noem refused to issue a statewide stay-at-home order as COVID-19 spread across the nation, making her a right-wing hero.